A View of the Ruins of Palmyra alias Tadmore taken on the Southern side

Mid-18th century view of the ruins of Palmyra (by someone who had never been there).

This sweeping view of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra was engraved by James Basire and originally published in London as part of a travel volume around 1747. Rubble of all shapes and sizes is strewn across the landscape, while five distinctive features are labeled. The Temple is noted as ‘now inhabited’, though the author had never actually been to the site. The detailed engraving reflects contemporary European interest in Classical antiquity. From, Palmyra: Exploring Dissemination, an exhibition at Bowling Green State University Library;

“At first, Basire’s approach seems documentarian, with its attention to detail and precise labeling of monuments, though the panorama evinces an almost cinematic quality. However… Basire dedicates more of the foreground to open space or pathways – people dotting the landscape among fallen capitals and friezes.

The predominantly European figures seem to vary in age – a mother and child are seen on the far right – and in activity, as some converse with each other, one man is sketching or taking notes, and others seem to be simply absorbing the sights in wonder. The lack of representation of the local community in comparison to the weighty Western presence brings to mind issues of cultural ownership and responsibility that remain relevant today, especially in the light of recent acts of iconoclasm by ISIS at the site.”

Source: (Academia.edu)